Northwest Ohio offers many year-round opportunities for fun, such as boating on Lake Erie or swimming and hiking along the shores of the Maumee River. Five stops in Northwest Ohio offer experiences that can be had nowhere else as you travel back in time, explore 60 acres of gardens, experience the wild side from the safety of your car or sample a sweet Ohio-made treat.
The Toledo Botanical Garden is located about 6.5 miles north of the Ohio Turnpike (I80/90) and just east of Interstate 475 in Toledo. Stroll the 60-acre living "museum" of plants and flowers enhanced with original sculptures. Learn about specific kinds of plants in the many specialty gardens, including rose, dahlia, azalea and vegetable gardens. The Toledo Botanical Garden is home to the Artist Village, an enclave of small cottages used by artists in specific mediums, such as photography and pottery. It also hosts many special arts events throughout the year, most notably the annual Crosby Festival of the Arts in late June.
The Toledo Botanical Garden is free to the public, with the exception of special events, and is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. The Visitor Center is open year-round from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends from May to October. Free on-site parking is available.
Toledo Botanical Garden
5403 Elmer Drive
Toledo, OH 43615
419-536-5566
toledogarden.org
Maumee Bay State Park is located in Oregon, less than ten minutes east of Toledo. Its many attractions include an "Interpretive Boardwalk" trail, which cuts through swamp and marsh wetlands to an observation tower, and two multi-use trails for walking, jogging and biking. Explore the interactive displays and research lab at the Trautman Nature Center, located next to the boardwalk trail. Summer activities include swimming at two sand beaches, golfing at the 18-hole "Scottish links" style course or fishing for walleye and smallmouth bass. Winter options include cross-country skiing, sledding and ice skating. Enjoy a picnic lunch in beach-adjacent areas with grills.
Maumee Bay State Park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. There are no parking or admittance fees for the day-use facilities.
Maumee Bay State Park
1400 State Park Road
Oregon, Ohio 43618
419-836-7758
dnr.state.oh.us
The African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton, about one hour east of Oregon, serves up fun on the wild side. The park not only allows you to drive through the animal habitat as many times as you like, it permits you to feed the animals from the comfort of your car as well. Along the way you might spot white zebras, Scottish Highland cattle, the South African nyala or a giraffe. Other park activities include camel and pony rides in the walk-through Safari Junction attraction, daily pig races at Pork Chop Downs or the educational animal show "Laugh With the Animals." Hungry guests can grab lunch or a snack at the Mombasa Cafe and Grill.
African Safari Wildlife Park is open daily; hours of operation vary according to the season.
African Safari Wildlife Park
267 South Lightner Road
Port Clinton, OH 43452
800-521-2660
africansafariwildlifepark.com
Sauder Village is a living history museum in Archbold, an hour west of Toledo and two hours west of Port Clinton. Talk with costumed guides about life for Ohio families over 100 years ago. Watch craftsmen as they work with fabric and metal to create basic life necessities such as clothing and cooking utensils. Tour homesteads, shops and a schoolhouse for a glimpse of what life was once like in the region. Visit the Pioneer Settlement, which portrays immigrants struggling to create new lives for themselves in Northwest Ohio from 1834 to 1890. Traveling back in time can make anyone hungry, and Sauder Village offers traditional favorites at the Barn Restaurant, sandwiches at the Village Cafe and homemade cakes and pies at the Doughbox Bakery.
Sauder Village is open April through October; hours of operation vary. The village is closed on Mondays, except for holidays. Free on-site parking is available.
Sauder Village
22611 Sate Route 2
Archbold, OH 43502
800-590-9755
saudervillage.org
The Spangler Candy Store and Museum in Bryan, just 20 minutes southwest of Archbold, is an especially sweet stop in Northwest Ohio. Spangler Candy has been making confections since 1908, and they've been selling their signature candy, Dum Dum Pops, since 1953. Spangler also makes Saf-T-Pop, a toddler-safe lollipop, and Circus Peanuts, a marshmallow treat shaped like a peanut. Take a walk through the museum to learn about Spangler's history, and stop by the store to pick up some treats for the ride home. Visitors can also hop aboard the Dum Dum Trolley for a tour of the factory.
The store and museum are open in June, July and August from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from September to May from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. The store and museum are free to the public. However, there is a fee for the trolley tour which operates on a first come, first serve basis.
Spangler Candy Store and Museum
400 N. Portland St.
Bryan, OH 43506
888-636-4221
spanglercandy.com
